Toy cap gun



Nov. 26, 1957 L. w. BROWN ETAL TOY CAP GUN Filed Feb. 19, 1954INVENTORS.

,m ma r M 0 f 5 0 m X H Paul E. Brown.

\ lllll A TTORNEKS.

TOY CAP GUN Lawrence W. Brown, Herbert D. Brown, and Paul E. Brown,Clinton, Mo.

Application February 19, 1954, Serial No. 411,353

1 Claim. (Cl. 42-54) This invention relates to toy guns for explodingfulminate caps and the like of the type referred to as paper caps whichconsist of small charges of explosive powder confined between sheets ofpaper.

It is common practice to place fulminate caps in toy guns and release ahammer or other impact member of the gun to strike the cap and fire sameto produce sound effects which provide enjoyment for children, however,the shape of the gun and the noise created by the firing of the caps arethe only similarities in such toy guns to the firing of a real firearmsuch as a rifle or pistol.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a noveltoy gun utilizing the usual paper fulminate caps with a cap receptacleand cooperating bolt or hammer which enclose the cap and preventscattering of particles thereof when exploded; to provide such a toy gunin which the frame is light in weight and the bolt or hammer plunger isrelatively heavy and in which the plunger is released and driven towardthe person firing the gun to strike a cap in a cup-like receptaclehaving side walls which sleeve over the bolt whereby the explosion ofthe cap is substantially confined by the cup and bolt and said explosioncooperates with the force of the impact of the bolt to effect a recoilin the gun that approximates or is similar to that experienced inshooting a real firearm; and to provide a toy gun that is economical tomanufacture, sturdy in construction and safe in operation in simulatingboth the sound and recoil of a firearm.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention wehave provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of whichis illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toy gun embodying the features of thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the gun.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the gun with the partsthereof in cocked position ready for firing.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the gun on theline 44, Fig. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a toy gun which generally consists of a barrel 2, abreechblock 3, a bolt or plunger 4, handle or stock 5 and trigger 6.

In the illustrated structure the handle or stock 5 has its entire uppersurface 7 provided with a longitudinal groove 8 which provides a seatfor the barrel 2. The rear portion of the stock extends downwardly andis shaped to provide a handgrip 9 and the forward portion 10 extendsfrom the handgrip and terminates as at 11 in spaced relation to themuzzle end 12 of the barrel. The stock 5 has an elongated recessintermediate the front and rear ends thereof and extending from thebottom of the forward extension 10 to the groove in the upper face ofthe stop. A slot 13 is positioned forwardly of the handgrip and is of awidth to receive the trigger 6.

The trigger 6 is located in the slot 13 and comprises substantially abell crank pivotally mounted on a trigger 2,814,144 Patented Nov. 26,1957 pin 14 located adjacent the upper portion of the slot 13 betweenthe vertical side walls of the slot 13. The trigger has a downwardlyextending portion which extends below the bottom of the slot 13 toprovide a trigger pull 15. The other arm 16 of the trigger extendsforwardly in the slot 13 and terminates in a trigger lug or sear 17which extends upwardly from the arm 16 and has a flat front edge 18 anda rounded or curved rear edge 19. The lower portion of the arm 16 underthe sear 17 is notched as at 20 for engagement of one end of acompression spring 21, the other end of the compression spring being inengagement with the bottom 22 of a recess 23 that extends downwardly inthe side walls of the slot 13 from the groove 8.

The barrel 2 has a bore 24 extending rearwardly from the muzzle endthereof, and said muzzle end of the bore is preferably threaded and aplug 25 screwed therein, said plug having a bore 26 for slidablyreceiving a plunger or bolt rod 27 of the plunger or bolt 4. The rodextends through the plug bore 26 and has a knob 28 secured on theforward end thereof which is gripped for pulling the rod in cocking thegun, as later described. In the illustrated structure the barrel 2 has abreechblock 3 secured in the rear portion thereof and the barrel issecured to the stock by means of a screw or other suitable fasteningdevice 29 which extends through aligned apertures 30 and 31 in thebarrel and breechblock respectively and is threaded into the stock, withthe forward end of the barrel held in seated relation in the groove 8 bymeans of a band 32 tightly sleeved over the barrel and forward end ofthe stock. A pin 33 extends into aligned apertures in the forwardportion of the stock and bottom of the barrel to maintain the forwardend of the barrel in alignment.

The bottom wall of the barrel is provided with a slot 34 aligned withand of suitable size for passage of the trigger sear therethrough. Therear end of the rod 27 is threaded or otherwise suitably secured to aplunger or bolthead 35 which is a relatively close fit, yet freelyslidable in the bore 24 of the barrel. The spring 36 is sleeved on therod 27 between the plug 25 and the bolthead 35 whereby when the knob 28is pulled to draw the plunger rod forwardly of the barrel sufiicientlyto move the plunger or bolthead 35 beyond the forward edge 18 of thetrigger sear 17 the spring 21 will urge the trigger sear upwardly intothe barrel in engagement with the striker end 37 of the plunger head toretain same in cocked position, the spring 36 being of suitable lengthand size, when compressed when the gun is in cocked position, to propelthe plunger or bolt with desired force upon release thereof by actuationof the trigger.

A loading opening 38 is arranged in the upper portion of the barrel andspaced forwardly from the front surface 39 of the breechblock 3, wherebythe portion of the barrel immediately forward of said face 39 cooperatestherewith to form a cup for receiving suitable fulrninate caps 40. Theopening 38 is of suitable size to permit insertion of the caps and alsofor use of a cleanout instrument 41 in the removal of paper particlesthat remain in the cap receiving cup. The cleanout instrument ispreferably a rod 42 having an eye 43 on one end thereof and when not inuse the rod is suitably stored as by inserting same in a bore 44 in thelower end of the handgrip as illustrated in Fig. 2, the bore and rodbeing tight fits whereby friction retains the cleanout instrument inplace. While the breechblock and the cup forming portions are shown as apart of the barrel, it is believed obvious they can be separated.However, whether connected or separated the cap receiving cup must bealigned with the bore of the barrel and also be a relatively close fitto the periphery of the plunger or bolthead. The stock and barrel arepreferably made of light weight materials and the bolt on plunger 4 isof relatively heavy material whereby the greater portion of the recoilfrom the impact of the plunger on the breechblock is transmitted to theuser and is not absorbed by the gun frame.

To operate a gun constructed as described, it is necessary to pullforward on the knob 28 until the plunger or bolthead 35 is movedforwardly of the sear 17, whereby the spring 21 swings the trigger 6 tomove the sear upwardly through the slot 34 into the barrel behind theplunger or bolthead to retain the plunger or bolt in cocked positionwith the spring 36 compressed between the plunger or bolthead and theplug 25. Then a fulrninate cap 41) is inserted in the cup and positionedto rest against the forward face 39 of the breechblock. To discharge thegun the user grips the handgrip 9 and applies rearward pressure on thetrigger pull 15 whereby the same is swung in a clockwise direction onthe pivot pin 14 and also moves the sear 1.7 to disengage same from theplunger or bolthead 35. The spring 36 then propels the plunger or boltrearwardly whereby the end 37 of said plunger or bolthead strikes thecap detonating same. The relatively close fit of the rear end of theplunger or bolthead 35 in the cap receiving cup confines the force ofthe explosion whereby said explosion acts on the breechblock to providea recoil effect. Also the impact of the plunger or bolthead against thebreechblock provides a recoil effect on the person firing the gun. Thecombined force of the impact of the bolthead against the breechblock andthe explosion of the cap 40 is preferably such that the recoilapproximates or is similar to that experienced in shooting a realfirearm.

After the gun is fired the knob 28 is again grasped and pulled forwardto cock the gun, and then the cleanout instrument 41 is removed from thehandgrip and the point of the rod 42 used to remove any paper particlesremaining in the cup at the forward end of the breechblock. The cup isthen ready to receive another cap to be fired in the gun.

It is believed obvious that we have provided a novel toy gun forexploding fulminate caps and the like wherein the firing provides arecoil effect that simulates that of the firing of a real firearm.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent A toy gun of thecharacter described comprising, a

barrel having a muzzle at one end and a breechblock at the other endthereof, a gun stock, means securing the barrel on the gun stock, saidbarrel and breechblock and gun stock being relatively light in weight,said barrel and breechblock cooperating to form a cylindrical shaped cupadjacent the forward end of the breechblock for receiving fulminate capsto be fired therein, said cup having a striker face at its rear end anda continuous peripheral wall extending a substantial distance forwardlyfrom the striker face thereby defining a forwardly opening cup, saidbarrel having a lateral opening therein at the forward end of the cupwhereby the caps may be inserted into the cup, a relatively heavy boltslidably mounted in the barrel and having a cylindrical striker portionon the rear thereof shaped and dimensioned to be received in said cupwith a relatively close fit, a face on the rear end of the strikerportion of the bolt corresponding in shape to that of the striker faceat the rear of the cup, trigger means engageable with the bolt forholding same spaced forwardly from the breechblock, and spring means inthe barrel between the bolt and the muzzle and operative to propel thebolt rearwardly and the striker portion thereof into the cup and againstthe striker face at the rear of the cup explodingthe cap therein uponrelease of the trigger means from the bolt, said striker portionextending rearwardly of the opening in the barrel and into the cup inclose relation to the peripheral wall thereof when the bolt is propelledrearwardly thereby defining an enclosed chamber in the cup whereby theexplosion is substantially contained and the combined forces of theexplosion and impact of the bolt produce a recoil simulating shock inthe gun stock.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS629,820 Sanders Aug. 1, 1899 675,315 Adams et a1. May 28, 1901 1,002,811Lent Sept. 5, 1911 1,660,175 Peake Feb. 21, 1928 2,051,564 Mars Aug. 18,1936 2,114,574 Rickenbacher Apr. 19, 1938 2,699,008 Tyler Ian. 11, 1955

